Coming off one of the worst starts in his career, Clayton Kershaw didn't just have the challenge of cooling off the Rockies' offense, but beating Ubaldo Jimenez as well.
Kershaw not only rose to the occasion, but he reminded people that when he's on, he's one of the best young hurlers in the game.
The Dodgers rebounded from a bad loss on Saturday to defeat the Rockies, 2-0. Despite getting waxed yesterday, the Dodgers claimed two of three to win this series. The homestand has ended with a 6-4 record.
It was a fun game to watch, especially for fans of a good old fashioned pitcher's duel. Both Kershaw and Jimenez had a few minor troubles early, but quickly found their grove. And when those two are dealing, look out, because the offenses barely stood a chance.
Judging by the first inning, you probably wouldn't have guessed that Kershaw would last so long. Dexter Fowler drew a walk with one down. After Todd Helton struck out (Kershaw got him three times), Troy Tulowitzki bunted his way on. Another walk followed to Ryan Spilborghs, but Ian Stewart struck out. It was a typical Kershaw inning with two walks and two strikeouts. But, no harm done.
The Dodgers broke through in the third thanks to the bottom part of their order. Blake DeWitt led off with a double to right on a changeup. Jamey Carroll then hit one hard back to Jimenez, who deflected the ball just into the outfield. DeWitt scored, and it was 1-0.
From there, both pitchers were totally locked in, so not much happened. It's not like a bunch of regulars were resting on a Sunday, because all the big guns were out there. Obviously Rafael Furcal is still hurt, and unfortunately Carlos Gonzalez went home following the death of his uncle. Other than them, it was a couple of "A" lineups out there.
Jimenez exited in the eighth, and Matt Daley took over. Russell Martin has been slumping lately, hitting .214 in May. He was 0-for-3 at this point, but took an inside pitch out to left field for a solo shot and a 2-0 lead.
At 117 pitches and facing the top of the order, Kershaw was pulled for Jonathan Broxton. He got the first two outs with ease, then surrendered a single on an 0-2 count to Melvin Mora. Spilborghs hit an infield single to Casey Blake at third, and suddenly there was a threat. But, Stewart flied out to Andre Ethier, and it was over.
Kershaw is a hard guy to figure out, as he goes from wild to masterful in the flick of a switch. Today was a huge step in the right direction, as he went eight innings for two hits, no runs, three walks, and nine strikeouts. It was easily his best start of the season, and no doubt gave the bullepen a much needed day off.
The Dodgers are still searching for a consistent, winning formula. They got Manny Ramirez back recently, and all indications are that Rafael Furcal is a week away. With them back in the fold, maybe that will give them the added boost they need. Then again, pitching is still a major issue, but Kershaw's start today is a reason for optimism.
Now the Dodgers are off to Arizona for three. They will then take a day off Thursday, and go onto San Diego for three more. Chad Billingsley starts the first game, and Hiroki Kuroda on Wednesday. Tuesday's game is still anyone's guess.
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